Nanolobes accidentally discovered, could revolutionize a lot of tech

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A team of materials researchers from the University of Michigan has fortuitously discovered that by laying down thin films of organic material slowly and with care, they can easily create odd, lumpy structures they’ve dubbed nanolobes. These structures cover the entire surface of their object, studding the surface like, in one researcher’s words, hot air balloons rising from the flat thin film.

Smooth and continuous, these rare crystalized materials have managed to spontaneously create a much sought-after structure. Normally, laying down thin films of materials like this will get you only flat, rigid structures with sharp angles — pretty much the only way to get a continuous surface was to make that surface flat or only slightly curved. These nanolobes grow out of a substrate to drastically increase its surface area without introducing harsh, crystalline breaks in the surface integrity.

Perhaps more importantly, the molecules inside these lobes are well ordered, meaning that they maintain the very specific properties of the film itself. As a result, the upshot could be amazing and incredibly far-reaching — surface area affects, for instance, the rate at which something is dissolved in a solvent like stomach acid, and could lead to faster drug delivery through oral means. If they could be made accurately enough, transparent nanolobes would provide very specific refractive properties for work with light — thin-film polarizers that only let certain wavelengths of light pass through them, for instance. Alternatively, intentionally creating randomized arrangements of nanolobes could diffuse light off non-reflective surfaces for the ultimate in flat paint. Greenscreen technicians, take note.

Here’s how crystals generally grow. Note the lack of curves.

The researchers point out that their nanolobes’ potential optical properties right away call out for research into improved solar tech. The photovoltaic cells that generate all the actual power in a solar panel are tailored to specific wavelengths of light, and a thin film could help direct more of that specifically useful energy where needed. One nice thing about thin film with respect to solar power is that they don’t tend to add much to the cost; once you’ve paid for the film-spraying assembly lines, you’ve done most of your investment already. The organic film itself contains no particularly expensive or finicky materials.

This is a fundamental discovery, the sort of methodology that could be picked up and used in almost any field of research. Nanolobes could help push self-cleaning and superhydrophobic surfaces forward. If we could spray on a continuous gradient of refractive capabilities, we could even create flat smartphone screens that direct light slightly inward, like a curved screen. The possibilities are dizzying, and since the process of depositing these nanolobes is so closely related to well-worn industrial practices, those possibilities might not be too far off. The team can put their nanolobes on any surface that can take the conventional, flat thin film — metal, plastic, glass, on and on.

The vapor-deposition method is well-worn, meaning this tech could get to market quickly.

Many researchers spend a long, long time trying to grow crystals with very specific qualities, and these researchers stumbled onto curved crystals accidentally. As in all things, though, it’s how well you roll with chance happenings that determines your “luck,” and in this the team has certainly excelled. The University of Michigan will be pushing this technique as widely as possible — we’ll have to wait and see how widely it’s accepted.